The Boston Red Sox got a disappointing update on injured ace Garrett Crochet ahead of Sunday's series finale in Cleveland. Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy told reporters that Crochet suffered a setback in his quest to return from shoulder inflammation that cropped up in late April. 

Tracy told reporters, including Tim Healey of the Boston Globe, that the 26-year-old experienced tightness in his lat and will not be throwing his second live batting practice before Tuesday's series opener against Baltimore as originally scheduled. According to Healey, Crochet will see doctors when the team returns to Boston on Monday, where he will most likely get an MRI to determine the extent of the injury. 

"It feels like a very minor setback. It sucks to even call it a setback because it doesn’t feel like it even deserves that title," Crochet told Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. 

The setback is a massive blow for the 2025 Cy Young runner-up, who reached a crucial point in his return on Tuesday afternoon when he faced live batters for the first time in one inning of live batting practice. 

It was a tumultuous start to the season for Crochet, who posted a 6.30 ERA in 30 innings of work across six starts before landing on the injured list on April 29. The injury, however, came at a shocking time, as the 26-year-old was coming off his best start of the young season, a six-inning shutout effort in Baltimore. 

With Crochet set to miss more time before restarting his rehab progression, it is worth noting that if he spends more than 120 days on the injured list due to a left arm injury, the 2030 player option in his contract becomes void. Crochet has spent 35 days on the injured list thus far. 

When asked how long this will set back will keep his ace on the shelf, Tracy was unwilling to put a timeline on things, "I wouldn’t even venture to answer that," Tracy told Cotillo, "Obviously, he’s not going to throw his live on Tuesday so that’s going to push it back some. But how long? We’ll see how he feels and how the docs say and how quickly it resolves," he continued. 

For now the waiting game will continue as the Red Sox await the return of the star. 

According to Cotillo, centerfielder Ceddanne Rafaela was scratched from Sunday's lineup after experiencing pain in his lower back thanks to a diving play made during the team's most recent homestand. 

First baseman Willson Contreras will also be out of the lineup as the Red Sox go for the series win in Cleveland. Per Cotillo, he is experiencing lingering pain in his elbow, prompting Tracy to give him a day of maintenance ahead of Monday's off day.

The Red Sox and Guardians will be back at it on Sunday afternoon. Ranger Suarez (2-3, 3.02 ERA) takes the mound opposite Tanner Bibee (0-7, 4.57 ERA) for Cleveland. First pitch from Progressive Field set for 1:40 p.m. ET.

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